


Ritardando

by Grumpy_Old_Snake



Series: Snippets from a Self-indulgent Sickfic [1]
Category: Undertale
Genre: Cuddling, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Major Illness, Present Tense, Sickfic, as far as authorial intent goes anyway, fatigue, in which Papyrus doesn't sleep (enough) and being ill is stressful, magic theorizing, monster biology theorizing, physical fatigue, sick papyrus, true gen; no shipping, ~magic~ in general
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 05:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13206783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grumpy_Old_Snake/pseuds/Grumpy_Old_Snake
Summary: A context-less snippet. Sometimes your mind and your body don't exactly agree on how much rest you need. Hugs can help, at least for a little while.





	Ritardando

It's a somewhat awkward position, but they make it work. Sans's magic is a steady beat against Papyrus's rib cage and along his limbs where Sans has aligned their forearms and held tight. This close, Papyrus can even feel the faint pulse of Sans's actual soul. It's reedy and fragile, but whole, beating unobstructed. Papyrus can feel his own rebelling magic steady and begin to move with the external flow; his soul, ever so slowly, relaxes its ~~anxious~~ ~~agitated~~ energetic flutter and slows to something that almost matches Sans's. The burning pins-and-needles sensation in his limbs gradually fades--not gone, but replaced with a far less painful form of fatigue.

He doesn't think he can sleep, even now, but for the first time he thinks he might be able to  _relax._

For a little while.

Perhaps.

 

Behind him, Sans's ribs vibrate in a snore, and Papyrus snorts. Asleep _already?_

"Unbelievable," he grumbles, though quietly. Sans is doing his best to help, and if Papyrus is honest with himself his brother has been downright active the past week. For him, at least. The point being that for once Papyrus can't truly claim that at least a short nap isn't in order.

...he'll still prod Sans about his laziness being contagious in the morning, though. He has standards to uphold, after all! 


End file.
